The template can be placed in different locations and, depending on what is required, the parameters can be mixed and matched:

Location Parameters Example Notes
References section {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium}} Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8. Basic reference format, suitable when referencing multiple entries from the same work. For inline referencing, use {{sfn|ODB}}, e.g. {{sfn|ODB|loc="Aaron" (J. H. Lowden), p. 1}}
References section or inline citation {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|title=|url=|first=|last=|page=}} Lowden, John H. (1991). „Aaron“. In Kazhdan, Alexander (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.CS1-ის მხარდაჭერა: ref=harv (link) Some additional information: entry title; url to the Oxford Reference database; the first and last names of the author of the article; and the page number. For inline referencing, use the author last name(s), e.g. {{sfn|Lowden|1991|p=1}}

This template is wrapper around {{cite encyclopedia}}. In its default mode it attributes text to an article from the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.

This template automatically sets some of the parameters passed into {{cite encyclopedia}}. Over and above the standard parameter passed into {{cite encyclopedia}} there are some additional parameters and those are listed below in a separate table from the table of parameters passed into {{cite encyclopedia}}.

Minimum is: {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium}} or {{ODB}}

Typical full set is:{{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|title=|last=|first=|authorlink=|url=|volume=|page=|pages=}}

Parameters passed into {{cite encyclopedia}}
Parameter Set to Notes
last= last= Set to the value of last= or not set
first= first= Set to the value of first= or not set
authorlink= authorlink= Set to the value of authorlink= or not set
last2= last2= Set to the value of last2= or not set
first2= first2= Set to the value of first2= or not set
authorlink2= authorlink2= Set to the value of authorlink2= or not set
last3= last3= Set to the value of last3= or not set
first3= first3= Set to the value of first3= or not set
authorlink3= authorlink3= Set to the value of authorlink3= or not set
editor-first= Alexander Automatically set within the template
editor-last= Kazhdan Automatically set within the template
editor-link= Alexander Kazhdan Automatically set within the template
encyclopedia= The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium Automatically set within the template
title= title= or article= Set to title=, if not set then left blank.
url= url= Set to the value of url=, if not set then no external link appears.
year= 1991 Automatically set within the template
publisher= Oxford University Press Automatically set within the template
volume= volume= Set to the value of volume= or not set
location= Oxford and New York Automatically set within the template
isbn= 0-19-504652-8 Automatically set within the template
page= page= Set to the value of page= or not set
pages= pages= Set to the value of pages= or not set
ref= harv or {{harvid|ODB}} Unless last= set, it is set automatically within the template to {{harvid|ODB}}. This means that {{sfn}} and {{harvnb}} link to this template as intended.